August 11, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland Ore. … Known for their strength, agility and love of homeland, the Georgian State Dance Company will make their first Portland performance in an Oregon Symphony presentation on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The Oregon Symphony orchestra does not perform.
Representing the former Soviet Union's Republic of Georgia on the Black Sea, the 70-member dance troupe has been called "esthetically as well as athletically remarkable" by The New York Times. Male dancers make up the majority of the troupe, and they are noted for dancing on their toes without the aid of ballet-style "block" shoes, as well as for their lively choreography with swords and knives. The female dancers are traditionally less active on stage, although their role has become more bold and energetic in recent years. The traditional costumes were designed by the late Soloman Virsaladze, who was the chief art designer of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia.
The troupe was founded more than 50 years ago by dancer/choreographer Nina Ramishvili and Iliko Sukhishvili, a ballet master and dancer. It is currently led by Nina and Iliko's son, Tengiz Sukhishvili. The performance will feature more than 20 solo, pair and group dances reflecting the many diverse aspects of Georgian life and culture. They are divided according to their origin and content into ritual and ceremonial, work, game and comic dances.
The Georgian State Dance Company will perform Sunday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Tickets range in price from $21 to $59 and may be purchased at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or charged by phone at 503-228-1353 or (800) 228-7343. Tickets also may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets(503-790-ARTS) or through Ticketmaster Online, via the Symphony's Web site at www.orsymphony.org. Service fees may apply.
Georgia was known to many as the California of the former Soviet Union, because of its rich, fertile land, sunny valleys, majestic forests and, not least of all, its excellent wine! Not surprisingly then, this poetic land is expressed in many ballads, poems, songs and dances.
Visitors are often surprised when they arrive in Georgia to find a feeling of having entered a completely different country. They have indeed entered a completely different culture. From the mountains to the market place, Georgia is a country that draws people back again and again.
The beauty and originality of the Georgia folk dances is perhaps due to their ability to reflect so many different aspects of Georgian life. They are divided according to their origin and content into ritual and ceremonial, work, game and comic dances. The advent of Christianity to Georgia in the first half of the 4th century and, at the same time, the survival of paganism in certain remote mountain districts, have similarly had an influence on Georgian folk dances.
In form, Georgian dances are divided into solo, pair and group. Each dancer has to subordinate to the requirements of a common plan and its expression in the dance. At the same time, the performers do not lose their individuality, since several dances demand competition between partners in strength, agility, elevation and bold movements.
The role of female dancers is an interesting one. The woman never openly tries to attract her partner's attention in the dance - as though she does not wish to be noticed by him. She appears unaware of her partner's tender feelings, maintaining an attitude of distance and awareness of her beauty. In the new folk dances which have been created in the last twenty or thirty years, a change has been noticed in the pattern of women's dances. They have acquired more liveliness, boldness and energy of movement without infringing, however, on the traditional strictness of the dancer's conduct.
The male dancers can also boast a highly original technique for, unlike any other dancers in the world, they dance on their toes without the aid of "block" shoes. In the women's dances, in contrast to classical ballet, dancing on pointe is unknown.
Nina Ramishvili, Chief Choreographer and matriarch of the Company, talked of the history of the Georgian State Dancers, and how it began. She states: "I began to dance when I was fourteen years old . I trained as a classical dancer and joined the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Company in 1927. For twelve years, I performed as soloist in Swan Lake, Don Quixote and many of the other classics.
"During this time, I met my husband Iliko. He was a leading soloist and choreographer with the Tbilisi Theatre, full of ideas, the most important of which was the desire to set up a Georgian folk dance company. He wanted to show the rest of the Soviet Union, and the rest of the world the wealth and culture we have in Georgia, how different it is from other parts of the Commonwealth of Independent States, unique in its color and history. It became a reality slowly, but we were young and determined. And in the end, we succeeded.
"Iliko's background was similar to mine. He was fortunate in his classical training, which included some time with the Bolshoi. We knew that to form a company would not be easy, we had to find the right dancers and in the beginning it was difficult to put together a dozen!
"I suppose really, you could say we began as a small group of enthusiasts, but in 1935 Iliko captured first place in the World Folk Dance Festival. We knew we were going in the right direction. Iliko was awarded the gold medal."
Both Nina Ramishvili and now her son, Tengiz, rule their dancers with discipline and loving affection. Tengiz was a leading dancer and is now a choreographer. Inga, his wife, (they met as dancers in the Company) is a soloist and their son, Iliko, has now come to join them, but Nina has some harsh things to say about the profession she loves.
"A DANCER'S CAREER IS A BREATH…AND THEN IT IS OVER - I KNOW, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN MY LIFE. With my grandson, Iliko, I have insisted that he study for the future and all my Company of dancers, who I also consider 'my children' contain many engineers, designers, draughtsmen and teachers.
"When you see them on stage, you will realize how demanding we are. We will never accept less than their best. It is so important for dancers to enrich their knowledge, to improve their education - because everything - the knowledge one gets, can be felt, can be seen, during the dance. Even watching football players on television, one can sense whether they are clever - whether there is something behind the technique. Young dancers forget how short their dancing life will be and there is only room for just so many choreographers and dance directors. I never forget how lucky I am to still be active and useful to such a great Company."
Like many dance companies in the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Georgian State Dancers have their own school. Some of the past dancers become teachers who teach the young boys and girls who enter the school at seven years old, and have an extensive training in both classical and folk dance.
"Because of the energetic style we have, our training also includes working with weights, and sometimes borders on gymnastics in its format, and really is as tough as the Bolshoi programs.
"We always think of our dancers as individuals when creating a new dance and try to choreograph around their talents. Of course, it is wonderful that my son, daughter-in-law and now my grandson are with the Company, but my granddaughter, Nina, had no desire to dance at all. In fact, she studied at the Academy of Art, and in particular enjoyed ceramics. For many years, she showed no interest in involvement in the theatre at all, except as an enthusiastic member of our audience, and however much we wanted her to join the Company, it would have been absolutely wrong of us to have pushed her…you see, we believe that if a child wishes to become a shoemaker, let him be. The important thing is that he becomes an exceptional shoemaker.
"It was almost a surprise to us when Nina was invited last year to see if she had any acting ability to take part in a film being made in Georgia. Not only did she discover she could act, but that she also enjoyed it. So who knows what the future will now hold for her.
"Our Company has traveled all over the world - Australia, Canada, USA, Finland, Germany, France, Romania, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, England and Italy - thrilling audiences wherever they go. We have appeared at the Albert Hall, the Coliseum, The Metropolitan Opera, Madison Square Garden and dozens of famous venues. In 1967, La Scala welcomed us - I believe it is the first and only time a folklore group was given a chance to perform there. It will remain in our memory forever."
The Georgian State Dance Company toured North America in the Winter and Spring of 1998 to great success and accolades from the press. Tour cities included New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Toronto, Dallas, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Cleveland, Miami, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Newark, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Wilmington, Albuquerque and others.